


Knocked Your Heart Right Out of Sync

by Sophrederick



Series: Scenes from Retail Life [2]
Category: Temeraire - Naomi Novik
Genre: Coffeeshop AU, Everyone is friends, Fluff without Plot, Gen, M/M, no not rankin, yes even Lien
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 08:08:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25540069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sophrederick/pseuds/Sophrederick
Summary: Jane hired a bunch of weirdos, but they mean well. Really.
Relationships: William Laurence/Tenzing Tharkay
Series: Scenes from Retail Life [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1850635
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13
Collections: Temeraire Summer Exchange 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LakeGirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LakeGirl/gifts).



> This was a blast to write, and there will most likely be more random scenes from this coffee shop in the future. Written for the Summer Exchange. Woo!

“Voolllyyy!! Your dad and Levi are here!” Temeraire called. “Hi Levi. How are the swimming lessons coming?” He asked. “Remember only like sixty percent of adults actually know how to swim, so it’s really cool that you’re going out of your way to learn now.”

“They’re good,” Levi answered, smiling shyly. “My instructor said the same thing, and that I’m doing well. My dad even said he’d pay for more when these classes are done, since they’re so useful.”

Temeraire and James exchanged a look and an eye roll at the mention of Rankin Sr. over Levi as he looked down to adjust his grip on the foil covered pan he was holding.

Temeraire grabbed a towel to check the cafe while Volly came up front shaking water and suds off of his hands. Business had slowed down for the day, so nobody cared much that he was up front chatting and leaving work undone. Even Temeraire’s circuit wiping off tables was just a way to occupy five minutes before spending the next hour on his phone.

Berkeley looked up from where he was studying the daily records book and the daily coverage report, “Hey James. Levi. Bring us any food today?”

“Yeah! Dad was gonna teach him how to make steak burritos today! Can I go on my lunch now?” Volly was practically vibrating in place.

“I mean, they’re maybe not very good, because I did most of it myself, but we brought enough for Matt and Tem to try them too.”

James took another drink of his coffee, which he totally definitely paid for, and told him, “Oh, stop. He did great. The worst I can say is that he overfilled them because he has a bottomless pit for a roommate.” He looked pointedly at Volly while Levi carried the pan of baked burritos over to Berkely’s counter for distribution.

Berkely dished six burritos onto dessert plates and handed one to Temeraire, who carried it and a large water to the back desk where Jane was doing administrative work. When he returned, Volly had clocked out at was sitting with Levi and James. He had also served himself an additional burrito and acquired a bag of tortilla chips from somewhere.

“Jane says thank you. I don’t think she’s eaten today, and she made a face when I asked if she’d had any water.”

“Of course she did. Why would she need water with all this coffee around?” James asked, before absentmindedly sipping from the water Temeraire had put in front of him.

“I just got up an hour ago, so I haven’t eaten today either. Thanks guys.” Berkeley said, moving on to making his to-do list for the day.

“Is it good if I eat this and then start on floors? I’ve made like, two drinks in the last hour.” Temeraire asked while already removing his apron. Berkely didn’t answer, only gave him a thumbs up and started on a second burrito.

“So, how’s your day been?” James asked.

“Great! I was on register all morning, and Mr. Laurence came in said he needs a new dentist so I told him about Dr. Keynes, and he tipped us five dollars, and Temrer said he’d send me the recipe for that beef and mushroom stew he likes, but then it was a lot so Demane moved me to dishes before he left.” Volly’s companions had no trouble following his topic jumping, as they were well used to it by now.

“Temeraire is always so nice when we come in. Do you think we could try that stew next and bring him some?” Levi had been coming in to visit Volly the whole time he’d worked there, but it hadn’t been until Temeraire started a few months prior that anyone got to know him as more than Volly’s Friend, and make him feel welcome in his own right.

“Sure, although knowing him it’s probably twice as spicy as is reasonable. How about we try it Friday, so if it’s too hot we can give him the rest to eat over the weekend?”

Levi, like Temeraire, didn’t have classes until late afternoon on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays. It was therefore always on those days that he had hangout sessions masquerading as cooking lessons with his friend’s father. It was clear to everyone that James was attempting to parent a boy with two living parents, but as long as it went unsaid, Levi could put off addressing his lifelong neglect until he was more emotionally prepared. So cooking lessons it was.

“I think I’m off Friday! Can I help?”

“If by ‘help’ you mean, ‘make coffee, eat cereal, and give moral support’, then yes. You can help. Otherwise, I don’t need you getting overexcited and slicing your hand open again.” Volly had many useful traits. The ability to focus while wielding a kitchen knife was not one of them. This was one of the practical reasons for James teaching Levi to cook; with his upbringing and Volly’s mind, the boys would have lived on garbage otherwise.

Fortunately, that was in fact what Volly meant by ‘help’, so the plan was set for Friday.

His help, while not strictly necessary, made everything run much more smoothly. A caffeinated James was a happy James, and Levi’s confidence was directly proportional to his encouragement and praise received. Since Levi was Volly’s Best Friend Ever, there was no shortage on those counts.


	2. Chapter 2

John Granby walked into the back area, dropped a giant bag of towels in the middle of the floor, and yelled, “! I need coffee!” Before sitting at her desk and putting his head down like a schoolchild. He waited there what seemed an eternity before Jane meandered back to him and set a cup of black coffee in front of him. ‘If you want a frou-frou drink, you can pay for it,’ she always told him.

“Black coffee in my time of need? I am having a Crisis I’ll have you know! I just got dumped through a text message! I need coddling.” He whined. Jane stared at him, sighed, and pulled out the folding chair to listen to his tale of woe. As soon as she sat she was joined by Iskierka, oh so casually drinking her drink, putting it down, checking her phone, digging through her purse, and drinking her drink some more to eavesdrop as much as possible.

“...that’s just it, things were going fine! I had no idea he even wanted to break up, and then out of the blue! Here, read it. ‘I don’t want to date you anymore. We’re breaking up’”, he quoted, “who even does that?” Jane patted him on the back awkwardly and stared at Iskierka until she stopped stalling and went back to work.

Granby had left by the time Temeraire arrived, but his story remained, having been heard by his biggest fan. Temeraire entered the conversation somewhere around, “...okay, but how many Ezekiah Martins can there even be in this town? I’m sure I can find his address.”

She and Arkady looked up suddenly at Temeraire’s approach as if to hide what they were doing, which they failed at by announcing their plan. It was simple: Go to Granby’s ex’s house at three am, splash $20 worth of gasoline along it, light it on fire, and run away.

“You know you’re crazy, right? This is crazy. I don’t want you to get arrested. Also murder is bad.”

“It’ll be fine, we won’t. And it’s not murder, it’s arson.”

“If he dies in a house that you incidentally lit on fire, it’s felony murder. They’ll investigate it, Arkady will get deported, and I’ll feel responsible for letting it happen.”

“They won’t suspect me, and if they do, I’ll just yammer in Durzagh until they give up.” Arkady said.

“I’m still not convinced that’s a real language. I’m fairly sure you made it up to sound cool. Anyway, we’re not committing arson. You know what people don’t get arrested for though? Glitter bombs.” At this, Temeraire finally got the attention of his coworkers.

“We get an unholy amount of glitter flakes. We dump them on his air conditioner. On his car vents. All along the path to his front door, so he tracks them in.”

“More. There has to be more to this. He hurt my Granby and he has to pay.” Iskierka had latched onto John Granby with the ferocity of someone who likes approximately seven people in the world and pours all of her attention onto them. Therefore if someone had hurt him in anyway, it was reasonable to kill them. Or at least make their life living hell.

When business picked up Temeraire thought that was the end of it, until two hours later when she walked up to him and announced, “Petroleum jelly. We cover his car in it, and his doorknobs, and house windows, and then we put glitter on top of that. And cotton balls.” She looked at him expectantly, as if he would continue to escalate, when Arkady came over.

“Let’s leave a dead raccoon on his doorstep. In Istanbul it means, ‘I’m coming for you next.’”

“Again, I don’t believe you, and also no? We’re not killing an innocent raccoon for this. I’ll ask Lien for ideas tonight, you know she’s vicious.” The other two just nodded knowingly, having met her and heard stories.

“And remember, we’re not getting arrested for this. Jane said she knows we’re plotting something and that if we’re dumb enough to get caught she’ll fire us. So let’s think this through.” Temeraire looked pointedly at each of them in turn, and walked as dramatically as possible to the front register.

“No Perscitia, you don’t get free coffee! $4.25!”

“Really? When I’m the only reason you understand chemistry at all?” She was ready to go on, but started smirking when Lily shoved Temeraire out of the way to plug in her employee discount code .

“Please help him pass chemistry this time. He was insufferable for weeks after he had to withdraw before.”

Temeraire gasped as in shock. “Lily! How could you! I was appropriately dismayed, not insufferable! I thought we were friends!” Lily only blinked at him and walked off to make Perscitia’s drink as caffeinated and sugary as possible. She and Temeraire had been friends for years, but that meant she knew all his flaws firsthand. Temeraire was a bit of a bad sport if someone was better than him at, well, anything. If Perscitia was to tutor him for the next hour, she would need all the liquid strength she could get.

After Temeraire clocked out and joined Perscitia in the cafe, business went back to usual, with the additions of occasional exclamations of anger from their corner.

“No! That does NOT make sense. Where did you even get those letters?”

“I don’t see why I need to know this anyway. It’s not even related to my major.”

“Chemistry is just magic masquerading as science, and you cannot convince me otherwise.”

Lily periodically had to remind Iskierka to get off her phone, “But I’m googling pranks that won’t get you arrested! It’s important!”

Arkady patted himself on the back for doing all of the dishes and cleaning so quickly, despite the sticker residue and bits of debris still on his ‘clean’ dishes. “This still has caramel drizzle on it, please try again.” As Lily tossed it back into the soap sink. She then stared him down as she drained his ‘clean’ water.

“No one appreciates me around here,” Arkady muttered, soft enough for Lily to pretend not to have heard so as to not have to respond.

“Iskierka, I just told you to put your phone away. Give it here. Give it. It’s going in the safe. You can commit petty crimes later.”

So the shift went as well as could be expected for the crew scheduled.


	3. Chapter 3

“I should warn you, I come here something like five days a week and everyone here is. Shall we say, invested, in my personal life.” Laurence told Tharkay as they entered his favorite coffee shop. He had learned that weekend that although Tharkay was normally a tea drinker, the correct beverage with cinnamon rolls was coffee. Or rather that, ‘I wasn’t raised in a barn, Will. I drink coffee with my cinnamon roll like anyone else.’

Laurence had taken that opportunity to segue into a morning coffee date invitation. He felt a bit odd about having taken Tharkay on three dates in one week, but as Tharkay had initiated more than half of their texting conversations, he seemed equally interested, if more reserved.

“Invested. How invested?” Tharkay asked. In the dawn light, even his suspiciously narrowed eyes and downturned chin were lovely and breathtaking and – oh. An answer was expected.

“It’s fine. You’ll be fine, some of them are just young and,” he paused to choose his words, “easily swayed to action. But it’s fine.”

“So what I’m hearing is it’s fine.” Tharkay opened the front door and waited for Laurence to go in ahead of him as he continued. He gave a lopsided smile and finished, “We’ll see.”

“Good morning, welc- Oh, hey Laurence! How’s it going?” Temeraire greeted from behind the espresso bar. He was familiar enough with Laurence to keep scraping at the steam wand while initiating conversation.

“Volly! Front!” he yelled. Obviously he could have done it himself, but he was ~busy~, and this gave him the opportunity to subtly inspect what was clearly Laurence’s new man.

“Laurence?” Tharkay asked

The man in question sighed and explained, “There were probably a dozen ‘William’s in my graduating class in high school, and then five ‘Will’s in my graduate program, so most of the time I go by my last name.”

“Good morning Mr. Laurence!” Volly was bouncing, and Tharkay absently wondered if he had already had that much coffee? Or if he was just like that.

“He’s just like that,” Temeraire said, seeming to read his mind. “And what do you mean Laurence isn’t your first name? You’ve been coming here how long and I’ve been calling you your last name this whole time?” he complained. “It’s like I don’t even know you.”

“No, Temeraire, most of my friends and all of my coworkers call me ‘Laurence’ also. Like Tom who comes in knows me from school, so he calls me that. It doesn’t mean I don’t care about you.”

Seeing Volly fidget at the register, ready to take their order but disinclined to interrupt, Laurence asked for his customary twelve ounce coffee with one cream and one sugar. Tharkay reminded him that he was disgusting, and that if he wasn’t going to drink his coffee black then he should put in enough cream and sugar to actually do something instead of just ruining it.

He then smirked and ordered a ‘medium latte, half soy milk half one percent, triple ristretto, no foam, with two and a half pumps of vanilla’. Laurence looked at him in dismayed shock. Temeraire stared at him in disbelief, as if waiting for the punchline. Volly pulled out his fun purple marker and cheerfully scribbled the specifications on a cup after entering it into the computer.

“Why would you do that. Are you trying to make them hate you?” Laurence asked in a whisper.

“Better they hate me for this than for dating you or something else stupid.”

“What’s your name? Are you friends with Mr. Laurence? That drink sounds interesting, I bet it’s gonna be really good.” Volly said, grinning sincerely. Now it was Laurence’s turn to smirk at Tharkay, and his failed plan of aggravation.

“This is my new boyfriend, Tenzing.” He introduced, slipping an arm around Tharkay’s waist. “He has a weird sense of humor.”

“Cool! So does my dad. Temrer’s gonna make your drinks now.”

“Volly doesn’t hate anyone, except maybe Levi’s dad, but he’s a special case.” Temeraire informed them smugly, revealing that their whispering had not been sufficiently quiet.

“And I’m using nonfat instead of one percent, and your shots aren’t ristretto, and you won’t know the difference.” He lidded Tharkay’s latte and handed it to him.

Tharkay took a sip and felt like the purple smiley drawn on his cup was mocking him.


End file.
